Fanastically Friendly or Sarcastically Superficial?

You tell me. After nearly 4 years in this country, I must say I have hardly met any other place where people do take pride in such as simple and sweet trait as being... friendly as here in the UK. I spoke to my lovely Colleague (English) about this the other day. She looked at me with obvious scepsism and probably wondered what expectations Swedes have on the world if they think London is friendly. And perhaps she is right, perhaps it's because the great North is a bit more shall we say harsher that I just love it when people say hi to eachother in the street, when doors are held for other people, when seats are given up in the tube for eachother and that people actually communicate and smile to eachother. I also love it that the TFL (transport for London) even has a campaign "Together For London" out now with cute cartoons instructing their customers/passengers how to behave. Gorgeous. I the Stockholm underground you are happy if someone says "sorry" for standing on you.

But back to my colleague again. She lives what we would perhaps call an "unconventional" life, in many aspects and she says she would never ever live in the countryside of England. She means that they might seem friendly, but deep down they are just covering up for their various screwed up views on all sorts of minorities.

I don't know. I doubt that will ever live in the countryside, and I must say that I love the politeness and the respect of people I find in London. And I hope it will stay this way. TFL is anyway doing theirs to encourage it.